COUNTY OFFICIALS:

Cook County Clerk - David Orr

The following excerpts from Cook County Clerk's website are designed to enhance your understanding of the duties of the Clerk and the services provided.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Cook County Clerk serves as the chief election authority for the entire county, the third largest election jurisdiction in the nation. Along with administering elections in suburban Cook County, the Clerk's office maintains birth, marriage and death records, assists property owners in redeeming delinquent taxes, and records the activity of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.

Offices

The Cook County Clerk maintains seven offices, two located in Downtown Chicago, and five located in various suburbs, including one in Maywood.

The Cook County Clerk's Office is organized with the following departments: Vital Records, Real Estate and Tax Services, Clerk of the Board, and Ethics and Campaign Disclosure

Vital Records

The Cook County Clerk's office serves as the official record keeper for births, marriages and deaths that occur in Chicago and suburban Cook County. The Clerk's Bureau of Vital Statistics division provides copies of these documents for eligible individuals upon request.

Real Estate And Tax Services

The Cook County Clerk's office has a variety of property tax responsibilities. When delinquent or unpaid taxes are sold by the Cook County Treasurer's office, the Clerk's office handles the redemption process, which allows taxpayers to redeem, or pay, their taxes to remove the risk of losing their property. Records for delinquent taxes for prior years (currently defined as tax year 2004 and earlier) are the responsibility of the Clerk's office. The Clerk's office also maintains the county's property tax maps and calculates tax rates based on the tax levies submitted by the county's taxing districts and the valuation of properties within those districts.

Clerk Of The Board

The Clerk of the Board records the activity of the Cook County Board of Commissioners by preparing bi-weekly agendas and post-meeting reports and maintaining county board records.

Ethics And Campaign Disclosure

The Cook County Clerk's Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Department accepts and records documents detailing the financial activities of public officials, candidates, certain government officials and lobbyists.